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Louis Gossett Jr, first black man to win supporting actor at Oscars, dies at 87, after struggling alcohol and cocaine addiction

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Louis Gossett Jr., the first black man to win the best supporting actor at the Oscars, has died at the age of 87.

In a statement, Gossett’s family said he died on Friday morning in Santa Monica, California. The cause of his death was not revealed.

“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,” the statement reads.

“We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

The statement described the New-York born film star as a humorous and friendly personality who faced and fought racism with dignity while walking with Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa.

“Never mind the awards, never mind the glitz and glamor, the Rolls-Royces, and the big houses in Malibu. It’s about the humanity of the people that he stood for,” Neal L. Gossett, a cousin to the ace actor, said.

Born in 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, Gossett started acting at age 16 when he appeared in the play ‘Take A Giant Step’.

He studied at the New York University on a basketball and drama scholarship.

In 1959, he gained widespread popularity when he featured on Broadway’s stage production of ‘A Raisin In The Sun’, and its on-screen version in 1961.

Gossett would later win an Emmy Award for his outstanding role as Fiddler in the 1977 TV miniseries ‘Roots’ — a film about the atrocities of slavery.

He won the Academy Award in 1982 for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’.

“The Oscar gave me the ability of being able to choose good parts in movies like Enemy Mine, Sadat, and Iron Eagle,” Gossett said in film expert, Dave Karger’s, 2024 book “50 Oscar Nights,” he said while reminiscing on the award.

In 2005, he established the Eracism Foundation to “help create a world where racism does not exist.”

In the latter part of his life, Gossett struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction.

He was diagnosed with toxic mould syndrome. In 2010, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Entertainment

Chris Brown opens up on dating multiple ladies

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Chris Brown, the American singer, has revealed that he is in a polygamous relationship.

Brown, in a YouTube live with Kai Cenat, the US content creator, addressed questions about his personal life.

When asked if he was in a relationship, the 35-year-old Virginia-born artiste replied, “I am in multiple”.

Cenat sought clarification, asking, “Like more than one girlfriend?” Brown responded, “Something like that”.

The award-winning singer also emphasized the importance of transparency and honesty in maintaining his polygamous relationships.

“Just keep it a hundred. Be honest,” he added.

This is not the first time Brown would be addressing polygamy.

In an interview with Hot 97, the singer opened up about the challenges of maintaining a monogamous relationship due to his celebrity status and constant exposure to women.

“The hardest part is trying to keep a monogamous relationship, but still wanting to be the 25-year-old sex symbol,” he said.

“You go to shows. You might walk by somebody’s room, and you might see about six or seven of them thangs. And you’re like, dang, I just want to slide in there and have a couple drinks real quick and I’ll tell my girl about it later.”

Born Christopher Maurice Brown, the songwriter is often referred to by his contemporaries as the “king of R&B”.

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Bimpe Akintunde warns Nigerians against scammers impersonating her on WhatsApp

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Bimpe Akintunde, the Nollywood actress, has raised an alarm over a fake WhatsApp account created in her name to scam unsuspecting individuals.

The film star took to her Instagram story to share screenshots of the impersonator, posing as her to solicit money from her followers.

Akintunde expressed her frustration and disappointment, cursing the scammer for attempting to profit from her hard work. She warned the public to be cautious of the impersonator on any media platform.

The actress urged her fans to help report the scammer’s WhatsApp and bank accounts.

She also prayed that God should keep such fraudulent individuals away from her and her loved ones.

“What a morning. Tell me how this country wants to be great, when a lot of people are struggling, working hard to build a name and brand, and boom, one person will take their pictures and name only to be defrauding people up and down,” she wrote.

“Who gave birth to such a child? Useless children, may God keep them away from us.

“Please disregard any message from anyone, either in your DM or WhatsApp, asking you to send money.

“Please, it not me. I do not own this above number. I would appreciate it if we could find a way to report both the WhatsApp and the Opay account.”

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Davido advises black Americans not to relocate to Nigeria, says ‘the economy is in shambles’

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Davido, the Afrobeats star, has advised black Americans against relocating to Nigeria, citing the country’s economic challenges.

In an appearance on The Big Homies House podcast, the singer shared his thoughts on the struggles bedeviling Nigeria, stating, “It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles”.

Davido also mentioned Nigeria’s struggles with bad leadership, a high exchange rate, and skyrocketing oil prices, which are negatively impacting the country.

“It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles. I do my part, I am an ambassador. When I go home and I am filming, I am no going to show the bad parts,” he said.

“I am talking about the situation in the country. Now the exchange rate is messed up, a lot of stuffs are not going well.

“The economy is just not good enough. The oil price is too high. Imagine the country that produces oil, paying more for it than a country importing oil.”

Despite the challenges, Davido emphasised the entertainment industry’s positive impact on Africa’s global image.

“Regardless, entertainment is one of the thing that has made Africa look good. We do not have the best leader, that is a fact,” he said.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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